Why HAZELTONES?
Music and photography both rely on tones, and I was hoping to find a way to incorporate a single word title as an identifier... and there you have it.
This all kind of came about organically... as a result of my love for going out to hear music. I have no idea of the number of shows I've seen in my 63 years (my first concert was Aerosmith in 1974, so almost 50 years of concerts). Regardless, once I caught the nightlife bug I was in and I'm still going out to hear music on a regular basis.
The photography grew out of just bringing my camera to shows, and realizing at some point that I'd seen a lot of great musicians and just maybe some of those early images were worth sharing. That was cool, film was getting faster... in the early days I was shooting color print, 400 was becoming readily available but the red stage lights wreaked havoc with my images. Somewhere along the way I started getting them autographed, which took on a life of its own. People then asked about my collection, and I began bringing an extra copy with me, on the off chance the artist asked for a copy*.
For the first bunch of years of going to shows I was often alone, and out of sight. Eventually through the images people began to know me as a regular. In November of 1988 I asked Ronnie Earl for his autograph and he asked for a copy. I hadn't brought an extra, so he offered his mailing address. I sent a few, with a note of gratitude for the music he made.... Some time later he called, which blew my mind. One of the reasons I got away from arena rock was because the intimacy the smaller clubs offered spoke to me. In my mind Ronnie and the band were big stars.
Also in 1988 I met Holly Harris at a show, and she asked me to bring by some of my images while she was DJing at WMFO. At that meeting she suggested that I join the board at Boston Blues Society, as a way to get press credentials for better access to the musicians. So that's what I did, I joined the BBS first as a member and then as a photographer, and sometimes writer.
Also in 1988 I decided to pursue harmonica lessons, and approached Rosy Rosenblatt one night at Harper's Ferry. He wasn't giving lessons he said, but here, let me give you the number for a guy who might be, Pierre Beauregard. Pierre really helped me sort through some things, musically and other.
In 1991 I quit my machinist job, bought a pick-up truck and drove across the country. I was gone for six months, leaving in August of '91 and returning in February of 1992. I was broke and homeless (not really, my sister Linda and her family took me in). Finding a machinist job was tough, so I took on a security guard job, at Harvard University. I was home one Friday night and heard Mai Cramer, host of WGBH's Blues After Hours say that she was looking for a new volunteer. I called to inquire.... leaving my number with Randy who was soon to depart. She called back and we spoke briefly, with her suggesting I come in the following Friday night. I stayed right up until her untimely passing in 2002.
One evening while in the studio with Mai I answered a call from "a friend of Mai's". I have no idea ho many people mentioned that they were friends of hers, but I know lots of times she rejected the notion and told me to take a message. However, on this particular night the caller said his name was Teo. I told her so and she said to talk with him until she had a break. Teo was easy to talk with, and funny as all hell. It turned out that he was the guy who had been hired as the music buyer at the recently opened House of Blues in Cambridge, that some one I was visiting on a regular basis. Some short while later while at a Charlie Musselwhite show at Harper's Ferry Charlie took out an acoustic guitar and started to play it! I made a couple of images and was approached by a guy asking for a copy or two if I didn't mind. I told him "yeah, jot down your name and I'll call you when I get them back". It was Teo! I told him who I was and he gave me a hug. We became friends in that moment, and he allowed me to bring my camera to shows at HOB, and often times would call me to ask me to bring it. I was so often at the club that the people working the door made the assumption that I was on the list and let me in, no questions asked. Talk about being in like Flynn!
In 2007 I got a call from Ronnie Earl asking if I could help out with band stuff. I agreed, and what began as bringing his amps to the shows became working as his road manager. Organizing all the things to put on a show were easy for me. I liken it to my work as a machinist... in order for this to happen first that has to happen. It helped that the other members of Ronnie's band, Jim Mouradian, Dave Limina and Lorne Entress were veterans of band life and could suggest to me ways to make it all work more smoothly. Really, I give credit to Lorne for his invaluable guidance. I stayed with Ronnie and the band until late 2016. When I started all shows were within a two hours' drive of home. By 2016 the band was playing Detroit, Chicago, places that required a three day weekend.
Substitutions with the Broadcasters was rare. The band plays a certain style of music a certain way, so it wasn't commonplace to have some on fill-in. An exception came at a show in Newport. Dave couldn't make the gig, so Anthony Geraci filled in. Anthony and Ronnie had a long history, all the way back to the early days of Ronnie Earl Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. It was through Anthony that I got connected with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones.
In December of 2016 the Bluetones had a tour in Florida... seven shows in eleven days and could I help with backline**? So thatr's how I first got connected with Ray and the Bluetones. For this tour the band consisted of Sugar Ray Norcia, Neil Gouvin, Anthony Geraci, Mudcat Ward and Mike Welch. When Mike left the band to work with Mike Ledbetter, Ray brought in, on occasion Charlie Baty who had been a founding member of Little Charlie and the Nightcats. Charlie lived in California and whenever he joined the band he'd ride with Neil and Ray going to and from the gigs. But, when that happened there wouldn't be room in Neil's car for gear, and that's where I come in. I'd haul the gear and get it onstage. [At this point in the story you'll have to understand that I feel as though I'm living a dream life. Okay, the board of the Boston Blues Society; ten years with Mai; freedom to wander and photograph at the Original House of Blues; eight years with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters; touring with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones! And as if that wasn't cool enough...]
In 2019 Mr Nick (Nick David) expanded his New England Winter Blues Festival to include more nights and more musicians. Some of the musicians were Jerry Portnoy, Joe Moss and his brother Nick Moss, Rick Estrin and Jason Ricci. The backing band was Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, featuring Charlie Baty. Mr Nick was also featured. We toured for five nights in a row: Tupelo in Derry NH; Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA; The Knickerbocker Music Hall in Westerly RI; Black Eyed Sally in Hartford CT and Time Out Pub in Rockland, ME. Prior to this tour Charlie has informed me that he had mentioned to Rick Estrin, who had taken over running what was once Little Charlie and the Nightcats to become Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, that Sugar Ray had me helping them, and maybe if Ray was okay with it I mgith be able to help them out, too. In July on 2019 Rick Estrin and the Nightcats had a show scheduled for the Bullrun in Shirley MA. I secured the backline for it, and soon thereafter I received a complete set of backline from the band, which I keep stored at my house for whenever the band has an east coast show.
And, I now work helping Peter Parcek with his gigs.
A dream life indeed.
*An interesting exchange happened one night with Bo Diddley....
** for a five piece band that included guitar amp, harmonica amp; bass cabinet; bass amplifier; two keyboards and stand; a full four piece drum kit complete with anvil (Neil's name for the box the houses all the drum hardware).
The photography grew out of just bringing my camera to shows, and realizing at some point that I'd seen a lot of great musicians and just maybe some of those early images were worth sharing. That was cool, film was getting faster... in the early days I was shooting color print, 400 was becoming readily available but the red stage lights wreaked havoc with my images. Somewhere along the way I started getting them autographed, which took on a life of its own. People then asked about my collection, and I began bringing an extra copy with me, on the off chance the artist asked for a copy*.
For the first bunch of years of going to shows I was often alone, and out of sight. Eventually through the images people began to know me as a regular. In November of 1988 I asked Ronnie Earl for his autograph and he asked for a copy. I hadn't brought an extra, so he offered his mailing address. I sent a few, with a note of gratitude for the music he made.... Some time later he called, which blew my mind. One of the reasons I got away from arena rock was because the intimacy the smaller clubs offered spoke to me. In my mind Ronnie and the band were big stars.
Also in 1988 I met Holly Harris at a show, and she asked me to bring by some of my images while she was DJing at WMFO. At that meeting she suggested that I join the board at Boston Blues Society, as a way to get press credentials for better access to the musicians. So that's what I did, I joined the BBS first as a member and then as a photographer, and sometimes writer.
Also in 1988 I decided to pursue harmonica lessons, and approached Rosy Rosenblatt one night at Harper's Ferry. He wasn't giving lessons he said, but here, let me give you the number for a guy who might be, Pierre Beauregard. Pierre really helped me sort through some things, musically and other.
In 1991 I quit my machinist job, bought a pick-up truck and drove across the country. I was gone for six months, leaving in August of '91 and returning in February of 1992. I was broke and homeless (not really, my sister Linda and her family took me in). Finding a machinist job was tough, so I took on a security guard job, at Harvard University. I was home one Friday night and heard Mai Cramer, host of WGBH's Blues After Hours say that she was looking for a new volunteer. I called to inquire.... leaving my number with Randy who was soon to depart. She called back and we spoke briefly, with her suggesting I come in the following Friday night. I stayed right up until her untimely passing in 2002.
One evening while in the studio with Mai I answered a call from "a friend of Mai's". I have no idea ho many people mentioned that they were friends of hers, but I know lots of times she rejected the notion and told me to take a message. However, on this particular night the caller said his name was Teo. I told her so and she said to talk with him until she had a break. Teo was easy to talk with, and funny as all hell. It turned out that he was the guy who had been hired as the music buyer at the recently opened House of Blues in Cambridge, that some one I was visiting on a regular basis. Some short while later while at a Charlie Musselwhite show at Harper's Ferry Charlie took out an acoustic guitar and started to play it! I made a couple of images and was approached by a guy asking for a copy or two if I didn't mind. I told him "yeah, jot down your name and I'll call you when I get them back". It was Teo! I told him who I was and he gave me a hug. We became friends in that moment, and he allowed me to bring my camera to shows at HOB, and often times would call me to ask me to bring it. I was so often at the club that the people working the door made the assumption that I was on the list and let me in, no questions asked. Talk about being in like Flynn!
In 2007 I got a call from Ronnie Earl asking if I could help out with band stuff. I agreed, and what began as bringing his amps to the shows became working as his road manager. Organizing all the things to put on a show were easy for me. I liken it to my work as a machinist... in order for this to happen first that has to happen. It helped that the other members of Ronnie's band, Jim Mouradian, Dave Limina and Lorne Entress were veterans of band life and could suggest to me ways to make it all work more smoothly. Really, I give credit to Lorne for his invaluable guidance. I stayed with Ronnie and the band until late 2016. When I started all shows were within a two hours' drive of home. By 2016 the band was playing Detroit, Chicago, places that required a three day weekend.
Substitutions with the Broadcasters was rare. The band plays a certain style of music a certain way, so it wasn't commonplace to have some on fill-in. An exception came at a show in Newport. Dave couldn't make the gig, so Anthony Geraci filled in. Anthony and Ronnie had a long history, all the way back to the early days of Ronnie Earl Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. It was through Anthony that I got connected with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones.
In December of 2016 the Bluetones had a tour in Florida... seven shows in eleven days and could I help with backline**? So thatr's how I first got connected with Ray and the Bluetones. For this tour the band consisted of Sugar Ray Norcia, Neil Gouvin, Anthony Geraci, Mudcat Ward and Mike Welch. When Mike left the band to work with Mike Ledbetter, Ray brought in, on occasion Charlie Baty who had been a founding member of Little Charlie and the Nightcats. Charlie lived in California and whenever he joined the band he'd ride with Neil and Ray going to and from the gigs. But, when that happened there wouldn't be room in Neil's car for gear, and that's where I come in. I'd haul the gear and get it onstage. [At this point in the story you'll have to understand that I feel as though I'm living a dream life. Okay, the board of the Boston Blues Society; ten years with Mai; freedom to wander and photograph at the Original House of Blues; eight years with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters; touring with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones! And as if that wasn't cool enough...]
In 2019 Mr Nick (Nick David) expanded his New England Winter Blues Festival to include more nights and more musicians. Some of the musicians were Jerry Portnoy, Joe Moss and his brother Nick Moss, Rick Estrin and Jason Ricci. The backing band was Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, featuring Charlie Baty. Mr Nick was also featured. We toured for five nights in a row: Tupelo in Derry NH; Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA; The Knickerbocker Music Hall in Westerly RI; Black Eyed Sally in Hartford CT and Time Out Pub in Rockland, ME. Prior to this tour Charlie has informed me that he had mentioned to Rick Estrin, who had taken over running what was once Little Charlie and the Nightcats to become Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, that Sugar Ray had me helping them, and maybe if Ray was okay with it I mgith be able to help them out, too. In July on 2019 Rick Estrin and the Nightcats had a show scheduled for the Bullrun in Shirley MA. I secured the backline for it, and soon thereafter I received a complete set of backline from the band, which I keep stored at my house for whenever the band has an east coast show.
And, I now work helping Peter Parcek with his gigs.
A dream life indeed.
*An interesting exchange happened one night with Bo Diddley....
** for a five piece band that included guitar amp, harmonica amp; bass cabinet; bass amplifier; two keyboards and stand; a full four piece drum kit complete with anvil (Neil's name for the box the houses all the drum hardware).
These are the days...
John Lee Hooker with Alan Wilson. Alan and I both grew up in Arlington, MA
with Main Cramer, Memphis 1995 Mai had just won her KBA Award.
Happy days indeed. photo by Peter Ward
In the green room at House of Blues with Little Milton and Teo Leyasmeyer. photo by Jim Saley
With Teo at Scullers. I believe this was a Howard Tate show. Image by Holly Harris
